


Spirits

by Sidonis



Category: White Collar
Genre: Character Study, Gen, No Slash, Platonic Relationships, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:02:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26426824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sidonis/pseuds/Sidonis
Summary: Insight in how time and work have changed Keller and his relationship to Neal. One-shot, set after 3x11 - "Checkmate". No Slash. Contains spoilers.
Relationships: Neal Caffrey & Matthew Keller
Kudos: 8





	Spirits

**Author's Note:**

> A character study on Matthew Keller and his relationship with Neal, set after 3x11 - "Checkmate", contains spoilers.  
> Originally posted on Fanfiction.Net. Edited for spelling and grammar.  
> From 2012.

Somehow, Keller had always imagined himself getting caught by some weird coincidence, like a typo on one of his fake passports, or for accidentally trying to take a water bottle through airport security.

He had spent some very unpleasant weeks in jail and even worse days in court. He had clearly underestimated Neal and his FBI buddies. After all that time serving the “good” ones, turning his back on everything that had made him who he was, Neal would have lost his edge, or so Keller thought. Apparently, this wasn’t the case, and he had to learn it the hard way. And yes, it bothered him. A lot. He used to openly ridicule Neal for his modern-day chivalry. How could he think they could do what they did without occasionally sacrificing a pawn? Caffrey, the charming, friendly romantic. This attitude wasn’t just pathetic but also dangerous. This was the reason they went separate ways. Keller just couldn’t keep working with someone who was not willing to pull through with a plan if things got a bit rough. Not only the chance of being left alone halfway into a con, but also the idea of actually being rat out finally spooked Keller. While he knew that Neal was by far the best forger around, he had turned into an unpredictable risk factor and therefore had to disappear.

Keller often thought about making Neal disappear for good, and while there definitely were enough occasions, it never happened. He always wondered if Neal would forget all his principles and kill him if he gave him a reason. Maybe he would have considered it if Burke’s cocky wife would have met her maker. The Nazi treasure flickered back into Keller’s memory. With a sigh, he realized that all he was mourning over was the money he could have made by selling it... in the past, he would have been devastated knowing it rotting away in a museum, being stared at by pseudo-intellectuals or sketched as a last-minute homework by lazy, untalented art students.

While trying to fight off Caffrey after his failed escape, he had destroyed a long-lost Raphael masterpiece. Now he genuinely felt ashamed about it. But that very moment, his senses were utterly overpowered by rage. He saw his life slipping away, all he had worked for, his reputation... the treasure.

He wondered where his spirit had gone. When he was younger, his heart started racing whenever he saw a fantastic piece of art. He knew only he could appreciate its beauty the way it deserved it. He always knew just the perfect place in his apartment for the artwork he would be saving soon. When he entered Caffrey’s room in the city mansion while discussing the terms of their “treasure-for-girl” trade, he felt a strange nostalgic sadness laying its hand around his heart. This was exactly how his place used to look. All the art – no doubt, Neal made good use of his potential.

Keller always calmed himself by thinking he and Neal were too different to compare. Their working style, their ideas, their personality. Yet whenever they met, there was that voice in his head, softly whispering hidden truths, fueling the feeling of inadequacy, pointing out that all those differences were actually his shortcomings. Of course, he was good at what he did. Very good, indeed. He was definitely not willing to change his ways. Instead, he kept hoping for life itself to corrupt Neal one day... one way or the other, the past would take its toll, it always did...

Two guards lead Keller along the narrow, artificially lighted corridor. Others watched as he passed by. He wouldn’t be returning to his cell anymore. Some looked a bit too happy considering the circumstances, but knowing the Russian inmates had his back made many guards feel uneasy around him. Hence, they were glad he’d be gone for good.

He could already see Agent Burke and Neal standing behind the massive gate, staring at him in disbelief. Next to them was a tall man in a uniform, waiting to take Keller with him.

The doors unlocked with a mechanical buzz and swung open. Keller made his way through and reached out for the uniformed man’s hand, greeting him in Russian. Before they left, he turned to Neal, smirking, “Isn’t it amazing how far one can get with diplomatic immunity?”


End file.
